1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing equipment, and more particularly to information processing equipment which can determine a user's intended operation when a plurality of keys are manipulated at a same time based on whether the plurality of keys are long pressed or short pressed, wherein the keys are used to control the operation of various functions of the information processing equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been small-sized information processing equipments which store a plurality of contents data for replay such as music contents. The music contents are coded music information and may include coded speech information, coded image information, etc. The information processing equipment is not limited to units exclusive for use in music replay. For example, the unit may be an information processing equipment with a music replay function.
The music replay function in the small-sized information processing equipment is usually controlled by manipulating small-sized keys to select items from multiple menus. A user of the unit might accidentally input multiple keys at the same time. Then, a process is known in which priority is assigned to individual keys and a key with the highest priority is assumed to be input when multiple keys are input at the same time while a predetermined application is being operated (for example, see Patent Reference 1).
The keys are electrical switches that are input depending on being pressed down but not limited thereto. They may be a touch panel, namely, a switch that is manipulated by finger touch. Simultaneous manipulation may occur with the touch panel when a position is touched between the positions that are defined to touch in correspondence with multiple switches.
Patent Reference 1: JP-UM-B-1-24659 (page 1, FIG. 3)
When the conditions in operation are changed by tracking multiple menus during the operation of one application, it is demanded to change the key that is assumed as it has been input among keys input the same time.
However, the method described in Patent Reference 1 has a problem that cannot cope with changing the key that is assumed as it has been input among the keys input at the same time depending on the conditions in operation. The problem is the same in information processing other than music replay.